Heroes of Might and Magic: Grand Consul

Chapter 435 Despicable Means
Giethoorn's defenses were impenetrable, leaving Dino with no choice but to launch a direct attack, but he still managed to come up with some unique tactics.

The soldiers guarding the lighthouse saw a large number of white sailboats rushing toward the river and issued a magical loudspeaker warning.

"The waterways of Yangjiao Town are now under military control. No vessels are allowed to enter. Violators will be executed without mercy!"

"Bill family merchant ships, you have entered the red line area. Stop at the shore immediately, or you will be met with crossbows and arrows!"

However, no matter how the guards shouted, the merchant ships did not stop; instead, they accelerated and approached.

“Sir, these are all refugees scattered outside, all citizens of Elton. Please let us through.”

"If the cargo piled up on our merchant ships can't be delivered to our hinterland on time, we'll starve to death!"

"Please!"

The deck was filled with ragged refugees kneeling on the ground, pleading for passage. Even some minor nobles joined in, waving their family banners and begging the guards to let them pass.

The garrison commanders looked at each other in bewilderment, but they soon discovered that a large number of natural wooden boats were gathering on the distant river, and there were even sailboats enveloped in cyclones, which were rapidly approaching the town of Goat Horn.

"Damn it, it's Isildur's warships! They're preparing for a major attack!"

"These Elton refugees are their meat shields for the siege, used to draw our attacks. How despicable!"

Elton and Isildur had fought for so long, with the Empire gaining the upper hand in most of the wars and conquering a considerable amount of land, naturally resulting in many prisoners and slaves. Logically, these were all capable laborers who could have been used to build cities and reclaim wasteland, but Isildur used the prisoners from the front lines as forced laborers, building fortifications and performing dangerous tasks.

But now they've gone even further, filling an entire ship to their deaths.

Since they couldn't pass themselves off as merchants, they could become targets to consume arrows, attracting as much attention as possible to buy time for the ships behind them.

"Fire! Do not allow any boats to pass through the river!"

Kenway, observing the condition of the river, issued a ruthless military order.

It seems the refugees' ships won't cause much damage, at most just some arrows, but since the enemy has used this tactic, they must have a backup plan. In order to defend Goat Horn, as the marshal, I have to make some decisions that go against human nature.

Then endless arrows rained down from the sky, and the merchant ship was quickly engulfed in flames. The refugees on board were crying out for help. They were not superhuman soldiers, but ordinary people who could not withstand the scorching heat. Some refugees who stayed on the outer perimeter were even hit by arrows, their wounds bleeding profusely, and they soon turned into pools of blood.

The Demon Hunter Crossbowman is baptized by dark elements, and his crossbow bolts have extremely strong corrosive magical power. Even low-level soldiers may suffer serious injuries from being hit by this bolt, while ordinary people will basically die instantly.

“I am innocent! I am a native of Far, and I was forcibly brought here by Isildur!”

"Please let me go! I have a wife and daughter who are waiting for me to come back!"

"Don't kill me! I don't want to die!"

The ship was engulfed in flames and rained down arrows, and they were trapped in the middle of the river, feeling utterly hopeless.

These people were indeed Elton’s subjects. Some crossbowmen had even seen a group of them, especially some minor nobles who were once families from the valley.

However, trapped on the deck, they pushed, begged, and even grabbed those around them to be their scapegoats, but they could only barely survive.

Even the crossbowmen who had undergone demon-hunting training felt uneasy looking at this hell on earth.

The Demon Hunter's Handbook emphasizes that some demons and devils can disguise themselves as family and friends to lure and bewitch demon hunters, then sneak up and attack them. Therefore, one must break through the illusion, sever ties, and eliminate these disguised enemies. But how can one shatter this illusion when facing the real people of Elton, living, breathing humans?
War is so cruel; there is only victory and defeat, and no morality to speak of.

"Boom!"

A merchant ship, halfway through its fire, exploded violently, blasting tons of seawater into the air. This seawater, mixed with bones and pieces of flesh, turned the river red. At the same time, the redwood beneath the ship miraculously took root and sprang to the surface of the river, forming a small platform where people could briefly rest.

【Rootless Tree (Level 3 Special Magic, Natural Element): Can create floating objects in rivers or on the sea, allowing soldiers to stay or move around, as well as to store treasures or resources.

Advanced Air Element Bonus: Allows magic to be imbued onto ships or units, delaying its release and creating platforms over a larger area, briefly altering wind direction, and extending its duration.

There are often floating objects at sea, or people clinging to logs and drifting, which usually have magical properties, otherwise it would be difficult to withstand the battering of large waves.

Isildur placed powerful explosives on the merchant ship and cast special nature magic. If they could get close to the lighthouse, they would detonate the magical explosives first, and then build a wide enough wooden platform for the ground troops to land.

From this perspective, regardless of whether the merchant ships reached the shore, the prisoners on board were doomed to die, and the fortress commander had no intention of giving them a way out.

Under the relentless barrage of arrows, the merchant ships were unable to approach Giethoorn and were stranded in the middle of the river.

However, as the number of rootless trees gathered increased, the wind direction changed. The original north wind turned into an east wind, and the ships behind the fortress accelerated and rushed towards the Sheephorn Town defense line.

Meanwhile, the Great Elf also drew his bow and arrow on the ship, retaliating against the crossbowmen on the lighthouse and city tower, and the two sides engaged in a fierce exchange of fire.

"Shoot these scum!"

"Those bastards from the ramparts deserve to die!"

Faced with Isildur's utterly reckless actions—using prisoners as shields and sending them to their deaths if a sneak attack failed—Eldon's soldiers were exceptionally enraged, their eyes bloodshot and their fury palpable.

In human kingdoms, wars are usually kept to a certain extent. When nobles fight for territory and their superhuman soldiers are defeated, the war ends with the payment of ransom or compensation, and that's it.

Wars between nations are far more brutal, a matter of life or death, but sending prisoners to their deaths in sieges is utterly inhumane.

At this moment, the demon hunters and demon priests had only one thought: to shoot these scum of the stronghold to death and let them sink to the bottom of the river as a sacrifice to the innocent souls of the dead.

In terms of ranged firepower, the Demon Hunter units are naturally more powerful, not only dealing high damage but also capable of damaging ships and cities. Many natural wooden ships were destroyed and disintegrated before they even reached Goat's Horn, with the dwarves on board falling into the water and drowning in the sea of ​​fire.

While the extraordinary soldiers are much more survivable, they have lost their way to advance when surrounded by scorching flames and arrows, and can only temporarily climb onto the wooden platform, becoming targets.

But Isildur has dispatched some stronger ships this time, carrying fast-moving units like centaurs and unicorns, which are speeding across the seas.

【Windbringer Ship (Tier 3 Warship): Speed ​​at sea/on rivers +10%-60% (up to 60% when tailwind), doubled by air elemental acceleration.】

With the boost of Swift Acceleration, the Wind-Breaking Wooden Boat, enveloped in the wind, sped toward Giraffe Town.

Just as Elton's soldiers were preparing to intercept the enemy's fast ships, the sky suddenly darkened. When everyone looked up, they saw a large number of dragons soaring with outstretched wings, their wings blotting out the sun and bringing a shadow of death.

"The Golden Dragon is here!"

(End of this chapter)